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Link Posted: 2/15/2021 7:59:58 PM EST
[#1]
What the fuck? If it isn't vent free you open a window a little bit. Now, for the heat. Close all rooms off that don't have water to them. Open the cabinets so the pipes get heat. Let the water run if it gets below 32. Sleep in a warm room.


Dibs on your ammo an guns when your frozen body is found because you didn't run the heat.
Link Posted: 2/15/2021 8:00:18 PM EST
[#2]
Thanks to "preventive maintenance" apparently 1 or 2 of our power plants are offline.  So we have rolling blackouts - last round was 3hrs no electricity and 30minutes with.  Earlier today we had 12hrs without, 1 with, 1 out, 45minutes with.

Net effect is I got the house from 50 to 57 during the last burst of electricity.  Luckily 50 is the lowest we have hit so far and that is quite comfortable.

When I was looking at a fireplace for my new house, I noted inserts are a lot more effective than most ornamental fireplaces.  Wood burning stove are probably more effective than inserts.  There are a few fireplace designs that are very effective, but they generally cost a lot more than an insert or a wood burning stove.  They tend to work by having a more complicated flue system within a very large thermal mass of stone/masonry.  My favorite was one design.  It was a tiny burn chamber coupled with 5-10 tons of thermal mass.  A 30 minute very hot burn (self cleaning) would radiate heat for over 12hrs.  If you really needed a LOT of heat, you could do 2 consecutive burns.  Even then the radiating stone stonework would not be too hot to sit on.
Link Posted: 2/15/2021 8:03:02 PM EST
[#3]
"No heat since this morning"


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Link Posted: 2/15/2021 8:03:20 PM EST
[#4]
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Quoted:
I just find it ironic that the natural gas capital of the United States is shivering in the dark tonight.  
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In fairness, apparently some of you all haven't made the connection between fire and heat yet.
Link Posted: 2/15/2021 8:04:39 PM EST
[#5]
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Quoted:

Weren't y'all gleefully chirping about your own electrical grid last week?
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Aha!  I thought I had imagined that.  Yes, yes they were.  Now we find out no such "grid" exists.  Just a facade of frozen in place "windmill gennies" that don't work.
Kind of like our pumps in below sea level areas.
Link Posted: 2/15/2021 8:06:25 PM EST
[#6]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:
In fairness, apparently some of you all haven't made the connection between fire and heat yet.
View Quote

Apparently some morons decided to switch to wind and solar, in spite of the fact we have oil and gas out the wazoo here.  
Link Posted: 2/15/2021 8:07:42 PM EST
[#7]
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Quoted:


I would be surprised if there exists a gas fireplace that puts out net negative heat...
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The majority of fireplaces in Texas are designed to look good.  They do a very poor job of radiating heat into the room and most of the heat goes up the chimney.  While they may make one room somewhat warmer, every room with cracks that are allowing the draft into the house will be colder.  A better designed system will not only radiate a larger portion of heat into the room (abet many rely on electric blowers to do that), they might also have a fresh air intake so they don't try to suk a draft through evert crack in the whole house.
Link Posted: 2/15/2021 8:08:52 PM EST
[#8]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:
The majority of fireplaces in Texas are designed to look good.  They do a very poor job of radiating heat into the room and most of the heat goes up the chimney.  While they may make one room somewhat warmer, every room with cracks that are allowing the draft into the house will be colder.  A better designed system will not only radiate a larger portion of heat into the room (abet many rely on electric blowers to do that), they might also have a fresh air intake so they don't try to suk a draft through evert crack in the whole house.
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This man gets it.
Link Posted: 2/15/2021 8:13:07 PM EST
[#9]
Combustion air only goes into the combustion chamber for combustion. That’s why it’s called combustion air. Run that mother wide open and sleep by it.
Link Posted: 2/15/2021 8:13:50 PM EST
[#10]
Really you have to ask? Are you a teenager?
Link Posted: 2/15/2021 8:14:53 PM EST
[#11]
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Quoted:
I'd run it and sleep by it.
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Link Posted: 2/15/2021 8:26:12 PM EST
[#12]
I run mine all the time.

We're in Michigan (currently -8°F) and I run mine for very specific heating.
Our gas fireplace is about 12' from our Nest thermostat.  If I run my gas fireplace it keeps the livingroom and kitchen/dining room warm and tricks the heat from coming on.
We let our basement get cold and any bedrooms with the door closed.  It uses less gas than the furnace and warms the area we are all in during the day.  I have a wood fireplace downstairs I can run when I'm working down there.

If my furnace quit, we could comfortably run the gas fireplace at full tilt and warm the living room enough to sleep and live comfortably until we can repair the furnace.  In Michigan it's always good to have a room you can heat no matter what or you're headed to someone's else's house.
Last year we had a week without power in many parts of the city during the dead of winter.  We had power and had a lot of people overnight for a bit and invites to anyone who needed it.

No heat can burst your pipes in a few days too, don't forget about that....
Link Posted: 2/15/2021 8:30:34 PM EST
[#13]
Don't some of you Texans run the air conditioning lower than what you are experiencing right now?
Link Posted: 2/15/2021 8:34:12 PM EST
[#14]
I had a 1200 sqft slab house in northern MN with electric baseboard heat. Cost was extreme, but it had a Natural gas fireplace insert, which I used instead. It kept the entire house 68 with a couple fans to move the air. Gas bill of $40 a month in winter beat $250-300 electric bills.

So why again would you not use it?
Link Posted: 2/15/2021 8:36:40 PM EST
[#15]
Havent done without power yet. Just got a call from mom, her well lines froze. Apparently the lights I put in there burned out, she replaced them. Not much i can do, for now. Its a 1 hr driving in normal weather and additional 1 1/2 normally driving to the store and back for parts. (This snow it would take me all day) Hopefully it didnt bust the lines, guess i will find out in the morning....
Link Posted: 2/15/2021 8:38:27 PM EST
[#16]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:

In fairness, apparently some of you all haven't made the connection between fire and heat yet.
View Quote View All Quotes
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Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:
Quoted:
I just find it ironic that the natural gas capital of the United States is shivering in the dark tonight.  

In fairness, apparently some of you all haven't made the connection between fire and heat yet.
I have a high pressure gas running next door lot, but no service in this area. Luckily, mom has natural gas and will stay warm no matter what.
Link Posted: 2/15/2021 8:39:20 PM EST
[#17]
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Quoted:
Why else do you have it?
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He's in Texas. Fire places are decoration.

Yes OP, turn it on and leave it on.
Link Posted: 2/15/2021 8:43:23 PM EST
[#18]
Turn your gas main off OP.  It is far too powerful for you.
Link Posted: 2/15/2021 8:47:39 PM EST
[#19]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:
He's in Texas. Fire places are decoration.

Yes OP, turn it on and leave it on.
View Quote

And this man (from New Jersey no less!) gets it too.
Link Posted: 2/15/2021 8:52:11 PM EST
[#20]
I've lived all over the US in cold climates. I don't ever remember the gas going off. It was the only thing that still worked. I would sleep in the same room as I don't trust those inserts not to overheat without a fan.
Link Posted: 2/15/2021 8:52:49 PM EST
[#21]
Poll fail. No option for " If you freeze to death you're an idiot and you deserved it"
Link Posted: 2/15/2021 8:55:52 PM EST
[#22]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:


I would be surprised if there exists a gas fireplace that puts out net negative heat...
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Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
What, exactly, would be the downside?

Pulling cold air from the outside inside, then up the chimney.


I would be surprised if there exists a gas fireplace that puts out net negative heat...
Yeah, this. When it was so cold this last week when I was working from home I turned on the fireplace in the bedroom where my office is rather than heating the whole 3500sq/ft. It worked great.
Link Posted: 2/15/2021 8:57:04 PM EST
[#23]
Link Posted: 2/15/2021 8:59:50 PM EST
[#24]
My current house is in town and has not had an extended power outage in over 35 years.  Ranch house will be on a lower priority rural service.  I fully intend to have backup heating and electricity included in the build as multi day blackouts are easily expected if we get a hurricane.

A lot of people have trouble building for a 50 year storm when you will probably not own the house for 10.
Link Posted: 2/15/2021 9:00:10 PM EST
[#25]
Link Posted: 2/15/2021 9:16:18 PM EST
[#26]
Logs with the rotating light inside are the most effective....fyi
Link Posted: 2/15/2021 9:22:58 PM EST
[#27]
Get a 55 gallon drum and burn a fire in it in your living room op.
Link Posted: 2/15/2021 9:23:41 PM EST
[#28]
Link Posted: 2/15/2021 9:30:37 PM EST
[#29]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:

Post up that state you’re in so we know where to look for wisdom.
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Shit no, I don't want a bunch of shivering Texans showing up.
Link Posted: 2/19/2021 9:13:29 PM EST
[#30]
Are you cold? Light it if you are.
Link Posted: 2/19/2021 9:15:29 PM EST
[#31]
Thankfully my ac is working.
Link Posted: 2/19/2021 9:17:10 PM EST
[#32]
Link Posted: 2/19/2021 9:20:39 PM EST
[#33]
Link Posted: 2/19/2021 9:21:08 PM EST
[#34]
Run it.

CO2 detector on.

Open up kitchen & bathroom cabinets to let warm air circulate to in-wall pipes.

Open faucet taps a tiny bit, just enough to let water drip, to help prevent freezing.  Especially for any pipes that are running on outside walls.
Link Posted: 2/19/2021 9:24:15 PM EST
[#35]
I might have been better off not running it - the temperature went from 55 to 46 overnight with the gas log running.  I understand there are gas fireplaces that actually warm up the room they're in.  
Link Posted: 2/19/2021 9:24:39 PM EST
[#36]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:
I had a 1200 sqft slab house in northern MN with electric baseboard heat. Cost was extreme, but it had a Natural gas fireplace insert, which I used instead. It kept the entire house 68 with a couple fans to move the air. Gas bill of $40 a month in winter beat $250-300 electric bills.

So why again would you not use it?
View Quote


Because some here are mistakenly thinking it is going to produce net negative heat.

It isn't.
Link Posted: 2/19/2021 9:25:55 PM EST
[#37]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:
I might have been better off not running it - the temperature went from 55 to 46 overnight with the gas log running.  I understand there are gas fireplaces that actually warm up the room they're in.  
View Quote


And what would the interior temp have been had you NOT run it?

Want to take a guess?

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